LS Cable & System and Superior Essex Inc. held a ceremony on May 26th to mark the start of construction on a new power cable manufacturing facility in Tarboro, North Carolina. The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by over 200 local dignitaries, managers and employees, including: Jong-Ho Son, President of LS Cable & System; Stephen Carter, President of Superior Essex Inc.; Keith Crisco, Secretary of North Carolina Department of Commerce; Mayor Donald Morris; Leonard Wiggins, Chairman of Edgecombe County Board of Commissioners; and Frank Harrison, Chairman of Carolinas Gateway Partnership.
The $60 million production facility will have 24,000m2 (250,000 ft²) of floor space and is scheduled to be completed next year. Production of low and medium voltage power cables will also begin in 2012. LS Cable & System and Superior Essex plan to offer high voltage cables and other transmission products and services in the future.
Through construction of this plant, LS Cable & System aims to establish a local power cable operations base in the North American market. In addition, Superior Essex will be expanding its product portfolio beyond its current winding wire and communications cable product lines.
President Jong-Ho Son of LS Cable & System said, "We will strive to become a major player in the North American power cable market by combining LS Cable & System's competencies in power technologies with Superior Essex's strong market expertise." President Son added, "The local economy of Tarboro North Carolina should also benefit greatly from our investment here."
